Jewelry clasp



March 21, 1967 G. VERRI EQBQWMB JEWELRY CLASP Filed March 15, 1965 INVENTOR. 4 6726 2'777' United States Patent Ofi ice 3,309,743 Patented Mar. 21, 1967 3,309,743 JEWELRY CLASP Gene Verri, Warwick, R.I., assignor to Coro, Inc., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 439,562 3 Claims. (Cl. 24-116) The present invention relates to a clasp construction. More particularly, the present invention relates to a clasp construction for connecting an article of jewelry to an ornamental chain.

The present invention has general application as a clasp for securing an article to a flexible element such as a chain construction. However, the concept of the invention has specific application for the securement of an article of jewelry such as pendant, locket or ornamental member to the chain from which the pedant, locket or ornamental member is suspended. The clasp construction embodied herein is designed to interconnect the pendant, locket or ornamental member to an ornamental chain in such a manner so as to provide for proper positioning of the pendant, locket or ornamental member in the suspended location thereof as worn around the neck of the wearer. For this purpose the clasp construction is defined by a pair of members that are pivotally connected together at one end thereof. Formed in the opposing edges of the members and adjacent to the pivot connection thereof are arcuate shaped depressions that define a chain receiving opening when the members are located in the closed position thereof. One of the members is provided with an arcuate portion on the opposing edge thereof, the other of the members being formed with spaced ears on its opposing edge and defining a friction catch for receiving the arcuate portion in frictional engagement therewith when the members are located in the closed position thereof. In the specific form of the invention, one of the members includes a cam shoulder that is formed on the opposing edge thereof and remote from the pivot connection, the other of said members having a cam edge formed on its opposing edge for engagement with the cam shoulder, the cam edge and cam shoulder cooperating with the friction catch for retaining the members in a positive closed position. Since the members may be conveniently opened or closed as required, a chain may be easily inserted between the chain receiving opening in a relatively simple manner. The clasp construction is joined to the locket, pendant or ornamental element at one end thereof and thus the clasp construction can be conveniently mounted on the chain to properly display the locket, pedant or ornamental element around the neck of the wearer and in proper oriented position.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a clasp construction for securing an article of jewelry to an ornamental chain.

Another object of the invention is to provide a jewelry clasp that is adapted to be connected to an article of jewelry and that is further adapted to be releasably connected to an ornamental chain.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a clasp construction for connecting an article of jewelry to an ornamental chain that includes a pair of pivotally connected members in the edges of which arcuate portions are formed that define a chain receiving opening when the members are located in the closed position thereof.

Still another object is to provide a clasp construction that is defined by a pair of pivotally mounted members on the opposing edges of which means are formed that are adapted to be frictionally engaged for retaining the members in a positive closed position.

Still another object is to provide a jewelry clasp for connecting an article of jewelry to an ornamental chain and that is defined by a pair of pivotally connected members, the members including friction means on the opposing edges thereof and cam means on the opposing edges thereof for retaining the members in a positive closed position.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an article of jewelry and the clasp embodied in the present invention joined thereto, the clasp being shown in the assembled position thereof on an ornamental chain;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the clasp construction embodied in the present invention and being shown in the open position thereof;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the clasp construction as located in the closed position thereof;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the members of the clasp construction embodied herein;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view with portions broken away of the other member of the clasp construction; and

FIG. 6 is a side ele-vational view showing the clasp construction in the closed position and as connected to an article of jewelry.

Referring now to the drawing and particularly to FIG. 1, the clasp construction embodied in the present invention is indicated generally at 10 and as shown is adapted to be connected to an article of jewelry such as a tear drop pearl indicated at 12. The jewelry article 12 is provided with a simulated leaf portion 14 and an end ring 16 to which the clasp construction 10 is joined, as will be described hereinafter. The purpose of the clasp construction 10 is-to mount the jewelry article 12 in proper oriented position on an ornamental chain indicated at 18. Thus when the chain 18 is worn around the neck of a wearer, the jewelry article 12 will be suspended therefrom and will be located in proper ori'nted position such that the ring 16 and ornamental portion 14 are disposed in a forwardly facing direction as suspended from the chain 18. As described above, and as will be described hereinafter, the clasp construction 10 is designed for use primarily with an article of jewelry. However, it is understood that the concept of the invention is not limited in the use thereof and the clasp construction may be employed for interconnecting other articles as required. It is further understood that when the clasp construction 10 is employed for the purpose of interconnecting an article of jewelry to an ornamental chain, the type of jewelry article is not limited to that as described herein. For example, other articles of jewelry may also be suspended from the chain and as contemplated herein such other aritcles may take the form of lockets, pendants and other jewelry articles of various shapes and configurations.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 through 5, the clasp construction 10 is illustrated in detail and includes a first 3 member generally indicated at that is pivotally or hingedly connected to a second member that is generally indicated at 22. As shown in FIG. 5, the first member 20 includes spaced ears 24 in which openings 26 are formed. The member 22 is formed with a corresponding ear 28 in which an opening 30 is formed, the ear 28 being received between the ears 24 in the manner as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. A hinge pin 32 extends through the openings 26 and 30 for hingedly or pivotally interconnecting the members 20 and 22.

Formed on the inner or edge of the member 20 that is located in opposing relation with respect to the corresponding edge of the member 22 is a concave or arcuate shape depression 34 that cooperates with a similarly formed depression 36 on the opposing edge of the member 22 to define a chain receiving opening 38. As shown in FIG. 3, when the members 20 and 22 are located in the closed position thereof the arcuate shape depressions 34 and 36 form the opening 38 for receiving the chain 18 therein. Thus, it is seen that when it is necessary to mount the clasp construction 10 on the chain 18 it is only necessary to move the members 20 and 22 to the open position as seen in FIG. 2 and then place a length of the chain 18 between the arcuate depressions 34 and 36. The members 20 and 22 are then closed to lock the chain 18 within the opening 38 and thereby mount the clasp construction 10 and the article of jewelry 12 on the chain 18 in suspended relation with respect thereto.

In order to positively retain the members 20 and 22 of the clasp construction 10 in the closed position thereof, the member 20 has formed on the opposing edge thereof spaced tongues 40 that are adapted to receive therebetween an arcuate shape projection 42 that is joined to the corresponding opposing face or edge of the member 22. The lateral dimension or Width of the projection 42 is such as to be frictionally received between the tongues 40, arcuate shelves 44 being located adjacent to the arcuate shape projecting portion 42 for receiving the outer edges of the tongues 40 thereon. Thus, when the members 20 and 22 are located in the closed position thereof as seen in FIG. 3, the tongues 40 are received on the shelves 44 so that the side surfaces of the members 20 and 22 are substantially coextensive.

Referring to FIG. 4, an inclined surface 46 is shown formed on the opposing edge of the member 22 and extends from the projecting portion 42 substantially to the outer end of the member 22 terminating in an upwardly projecting finger 48 that defines a shoulder 58 with the inclined surface 46. The member 20 has a corresponding surface 52 formed thereon that extends from the tongues 40 to the outermost end of the member 20 and terminates in a cam edge 54. The cam edge 54 is adapted to engage the shoulder 50 in frictional relationship and thus cooperates with the friction catch defined by the tongues 40 and projection 42 to lock the members 20 and 22 in a positive closed position. In the closed position of the members 20 and 22, the surface 52 engages the surface 46, the cam edge 54 frictionally engages the shoulder 50 to locate the member 20 in close fitting relation with respect to the member 22. As further seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, a finger catch or grip 56 is formed on the end of the member 20 opposite the hinge axis thereof and is inclined upwardly with respect thereto so as to be accessible for withdrawing the member 20 from the closed position thereof.

In order to mount the clasp construction 10 on the end ring 16 of the article 12, a ring 58 is joined to the member 20 at the outer end thereof that is opposite to the hinge axis of the members. The ring 58 is joined directly to the finger 48, the axis of an opening 60 formed in the ring 58 extending in a direction that is parallel to the axis of the opening 38. With the connecting ring 58 located in the manner as shown and described, the ring 16 of the ornamental article 12 projects through the opening 60 in such a manner so as to locate the clasp construction 10 in oriented relation with respect to the article 12 and the chain 18 that extends through the opening between the members 20 and 22. It will be further noted, as seen in FIG. 6, that when the clasp construction 10 is mounted in position on the article 12 and on the chain 18 and the chain 18 is suspended around the neck of a wearer, the member 20 faces inwardly with respect to the manner of use of the assembly. With the chain construction located as indicated, an ornamental surface formed on the member 22 faces outwardly and is externally visible when the assembly is suspended from the neck of the wearer. Furthermore the finger catch 56 is located inwardly and hidden from view in the suspended position of the assembly.

In the use of the clasp construction 10, an ornamental article 12 or other similar jewelry article may be simply and quickly interconnected to an ornamental chain as desired. Similarly the ornamental chain 18 may be mounted in position within the opening 38 of the clasp construction 10 by the simple insertion thereof upon opening of the members 20 and 22 from the closed position thereof. Upon closing of the members 20 and 22 the chain 18 is locked within the opening 38 and the assembly is ready for use. It is seen that the use of the clasp construction 10 avoids the requirement of manually mounting the ornamental chain on the jump ring and avoids the requirement of threading the chain 18 through a connecting ring or the like. The ornamental characteristics of the clasp construction 10 cooperate with the article 12 to provide an attractive assembly.

While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described, except as so far as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a clasp construction for connecting an article of jewelry to an ornamental chain, a pair of members pivotally connected together at an end thereof and movable from an open position to a closed position, wherein the opposing edges of said members are located in engagement, both said members having arcuate shaped depressions formed in the opposing edges thereof that define a chain receiving opening when said members are located in the closed position thereof, spaced ears formed on the opposing edge of one of said members, a projecting portion formed on the opposing edge of the other of said members and receivable between said ears in friction engaging relation when said members are located in the closed position thereof, an eyelet joined to one of said members on the end thereof opposite to the pivot connection of said members and being located such that the axis thereof is parallel to the axis of the chain receiving opening, said article of jewelry being mounted on said eyelet through a connection that properly orients the article of jewelry when the chain is placed around the neck of a wearer, and a finger grip joined to one of said members on the end thereof that is opposite to said pivot connection and projecting outwardly of the member to which it is joined for ready engagement by said wearer, said finger grip being located adjacent to said eyelet in the closed position of said members and being positioned such that it is facing rearwardly so as to be normally hidden from external view when the ornamental chain is located around the neck of the wearer.

2. In a clasp construction as set forth in claim 1, the member on which said spaced ears are located having a cam edge formed on the end thereof that is opposite to the pivot connection, and the other of said members having a cam shoulder formed thereon adjacent to the end that is opposite to the pivot connection, said cam edge being receivable on said cam shoulder and cooperating with 5 said spaced ears and projecting portion to frictionally retain said members in the closed position thereof.

3. In a clasp construction as set forth in claim 2, the member on which said cam edge is located being formed with said finger grip.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/ 1896 Linkenbach.

Siama 24241 X Oppman 24-241 Beghetto 24116 X Bohlinger 24116.1 Bohlinger 24116.1

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain.

BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner. 

